1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to melt-adhesive composite fibers and a process for producing the composite fibers. Further, the present invention relates to a partially fused fabric comprising the composite fibers and having a high strength, high bulk recovery from compression, excellent formation characteristics of few neps (small fiber aggregates), and soft hand feeling. Still further, the present invention relates to a surface material, for medical supplies such sanitary napkins and paper diapers, comprising the partially fused fabric.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, the performances required to non-woven fabrics used for surface materials for medical supplies such as sanitary napkins and paper diapers have been advanced and diversified; and specifically such non-woven fabrics have been required that the fabrics maintain a high strength at a basis weight as small as possible, have a high bulk recovery from compression, have limited number of naps (small fiber aggregates) as a formation characteristic of fabric, and have a soft hand feeling.
In order to satisfy these requirements, a process for producing a bulky non-woven fabric has been proposed in Examined Japanese Patent Publication No. 1-37505 wherein melt-adhesive composite fibers are partially fused, in the production of which fibers the Q value of the first component, preheating temperature, stretching ratio, number of crimps, and crimp elasticity are specified.
However, the non-woven fabric is still unsatisfactory as a surface material for medical supplies, and specifically the non-woven fabric obtained in the Publication '505 had the problems that troubles occur at the carding step; many neps are formed to deteriorate the fabric performances; bulk recovery is low; strength is low, and hand feeling is poor. Thus, the development of a non-oven fabric which solves such problems as mentioned above has strongly been desired.